Love's Labour's Losing
by JasonMyersX
Summary: Todd is now a teenager and in High School, and has a new life, and new friends. But what happens when he finds someone from his past now goes to his High School? ToddXMaurecia. Rated T for now for language and innuendos, M later for Lemons and Adult themes.
1. Old faces, New School

**I have noticed that there is a shocking lack of Todd and Maurecia stories in the Wayside category, so I've decided to provide a remedy for that problem. Vince is an OC I made in order for someone to fill the role of Todd's High school friend, don't worry though, other Wayside characters will appear later in the story. Also, for those who still may be following me after my long hiatus, Strange New Life will be updated within the next few months or so, I've just had a lot on my plate recently.**

Todd squinted his eyes as fresh morning sunlight tore through them, making the red haired teenager wince. His alarm clock buzzing like crazy, he slowly peeled his covers off of himself as he slammed his hand down on top of the clock, to silence its shrieking buzzing.

Todd was now sixteen-years old and starting his junior year of high school. It had now been several years since he left the madness that was known as Wayside, and he had begun a new life, with a new routine and new friends.

He walked out into the hallway and brushed his teeth before changing out of his pajamas and heading downstairs to eat his breakfast before the bus came.

After finishing up his cereal, Todd made sure he had all of the material he would need for his new classes. It was the first day of school, and that combined with his sleepiness didn't put him in a very good mood. He was then approached by his friend Vince whom he had met in ninth grade.

Vince had straight brown hair and glasses and was slightly taller than Todd by a few inches. He also groaned as he took a spot next to the redhead, waiting for their bus to arrive.

"Well look on the bright side" Vince began, yawning in mid sentence. "At least we only have two more years left of school, and then we'll be home free."

"Yeah, I guess so." Todd grumbled, trying to wipe away the remaining sleep from his eyes. After a few more students arrived at the stop, the bus showed up and Todd and Vince climbed on board, looking forward to 2:30 when they would be free again.

Vince took a seat next to his friend, and Todd starred out the window while Vince listened to his ipod before the bus finally arrived at OceanCrest High. After entering the school and finding his new locker location, Todd pulled his schedule out of his bag and examined it.

He groaned in distress upon finding out that his first class was math.

"Math, first period? Oh this year is starting off great already." Todd said angrily to himself, heading to room b215 where the class was located.

Upon entering the class, he saw that he was still pretty early, as the teacher had not arrived yet, but a wave of pure horror crashed over him like a tsunami when he saw who was in this class with him.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S TODD!" Maurecia screamed at the top of her lungs, making several of the students near her flinch. Before the redhead could react, the purple haired female was in his face, gazing at him for several seconds, as if he were some kind of rare gem.

"It's been so long Todd, we have A LOT of catching up to do." Maurecia gushed, fluttering her eye slashes. Her personality had not changed a bit.

"Yeah, I guess we do." Todd stuttered. A split second later, Maurecia's fist crashed into his shoulder, sending him flying up against the wall.

Maurecia squealed in delight. "It feels so good to be able to do that again." She sighed in pleasure, as if she were a drug addict who had been off the junk for years, but today was finally being reunited with the substance. "Yeah, just like old times." Todd grumbled, rubbing his now sore shoulder.

"Todd, let me see your schedule, I totally want to know if we have more classes together!" Maurecia proclaimed excitedly, her pony tail bobbing as she snatched the paper from his hands. She no longer wore the pink helmet and roller skates obviously, but her hair was done up in the same way and she wore the exact same shirt and blue skirt.

On top of that, she was much taller now, and unfortunately for Todd, stronger as well. Before Todd could protest, Maurecia burst out into a euphoric fit, jumping up and down and giggling in delight as if she had just won the lottery.

"Todd, we have history and science together in addition to this class! That means I get to see you three times every day, isn't that great?" Maurecia shrieked in delight, clutching the paper to her chest.

"Peachy." Todd said, snatching the paper away from her. "This is the best day of my life, it'll be just like old times Todd, like when we were at Wayside together." She sighed, closing her eyes and letting a goofy grin spread itself over her face.

"Yeah I guess it…" Todd was interrupted in the middle of his sentence as he flew right back into the same wall, Maurecia's fist once again becoming accompanied to his shoulder. "Math first period and a bruised shoulder, what a great way to start a day." Todd said to himself in annoyance.

Maurecia just giggled in response, as if he had just told some amazing joke. The bell in the class then began to ring, signifying that class was starting, and sure enough a middle aged man entered the room carrying a stack of papers.

"Alright everyone take your seats" He ordered, placing the material on the desk in front of him. Unlike at Wayside, there were no assigned seats, so sure enough Maurecia took a seat right next to Todd, winking at him as he just rolled his eyes. _"Well, at least she can't punch me in the middle of class." _He thought to himself in relief.

Maurecia leaned in close to his ear and whispered. "We're sitting together Todd." She said, grinning ear to ear.

"Yeah, I can see that." He responded dryly.

Since it was the first class of the year, they didn't really go over much, the teacher mostly rambling about how the class would be laid out and the subjects they would cover. The entire time Maurecia was gawking at Todd with googley eyes, looking at him as if he were some modern art masterpiece. Todd tried to ignore it but even when he turned away he felt the gaze of the female's eyes boring into the side of his skull.

Finally after what felt like a century, the bell rang again signifying that class was over, and there would only be another ten minutes before the next one started.

Todd got up and walked out into the hallway, with the purple haired teen following right behind him like a shadow. A second later Maurecia was in his face again, beaming. "Hey Todd, you wanna hold hands?" She asked hopefully, her blue eyes sparkling in anticipation.

"Maurecia, even after all these years you don't get it, I don't want a girlfriend." Todd sighed in exasperation, crossing his arms over his chest.

The girl's expression immediately soured, a frown now taking over her mug. "But why not Todd?" She whined. "You're probably the only boy in this entire school who doesn't want a romantic relationship!" Maurecia pouted, sticking out her lip like a little kid throwing a tantrum.

"It's nothing personal against you Maurecia, I don't want a relationship with any girl right now." He explained calmly.

The purple haired girl then smirked deviously. "Are you gay Todd?" She said smiling like a cheshire cat.

Todd look mortified. "WHAT? NO!" He screamed in horror, not wanting people nearby to hear her. "Because it's okay if you are, to each their own as the expression says." Maurecia chuckled innocently, enjoying teasing the boy.

"Maurecia I'm not gay it's just… you're not really my type." He choked out softly, unsure as to how she would respond. She looked both hurt and angered. "But you just said you didn't want a relationship with any girl!" Maurecia huffed, her eyebrows furrowing.

Todd gulped realizing he had kind of backed himself up into a corner here. She was now jabbing one of her fingers into his chest. "Well?..." She asked impatiently, her eyes narrowing.

"Okay, okay. It's just well… Todd stammered, trying to pick his words carefully. "Well what?" Maurecia asked, arms folded over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

"You're just to…" Todd choked, gulping. Maurecia then lurched forward, grabbing Todd's shirt with both of her hands and pulling him close to her so that their faces were only inches apart. "What is it Todd? What's wrong with me? I can fix it I swear!" She wailed, her anger fading away and being replaced by fear and sadness.

"You're just too rough." He said, finally spitting his words out. Maurecia then released him and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"How do you mean?" She asked, genuinely puzzled. "Do I really have to explain it? You punch me every time you see me." He explained to her. "Just look at what you've done to my shoulder!" He proclaimed, pulling his shirt down slightly to show her his now purpley blue shoulder.

Maurecia now looked genuinely hurt, as if she were holding back tears, and for a second Todd almost felt bad for her.

"But Todd, that's how I express that I really, really like someone, like you." She said, her frown fading away and her smile kicking back into full force as she broke out into another fit of giggles.

"Yeah, well aren't there other ways you can express your affection? I don't know, like hugging for example?" Todd asked, cheeks turning slightly pink at the thought of her hugging him every day.

Now Maurecia really looked confused, as if he were speaking in gibberish. "Uhhh I guess so, I mean I never really tried it before…would you mind if I tried it out?" Maurecia asked softly, her cheeks turning a light pink.

"Ugh sure." Todd sputtered, lips getting dry for some reason. As soon as those words left his mouth, the purple haired girl wrapped both of her arms tightly around his body, pressing her chest right up against his and embracing him in a super tight hug.

Todd could now smell Maurecia's shampoo, and he could feel her breasts pressing up against his chest. His face turned a dark red, his hormones screaming out.

Maurecia lingered there for awhile, holding Todd in that tight embrace, closing her eyes and sighing deeply in pleasure as if she were soaking up the aroma of a sweet flower.

The hug went on for so long that several students in the hallway stopped and starred at them, some looking dumbfounded and others smiling and snickering softly.

Todd broke the hug and stepped away slowly, laughing nervously. Maurecia looked both angered and saddened at him having cut off the embrace. The kids that were now staring went back to getting ready for their next class, but Todd and Maurecia just stood there for a few seconds, blushing lightly and laughing nervously.

"That was…really nice Todd, I liked it a lot." Maurecia sighed. Her voice sounded completely different, slower and much more relaxed, as if she had just entered some new plain of being. "Yeah it was nice." The redhead responded simply as he heard the bell ringing. His next class was starting, English which he didn't have with Maurecia. For some reason Todd felt upset by that. Why? Just earlier he couldn't wait to get away from her, now it was if he never wanted her to leave his side, of course he wouldn't dare tell her or anyone else that.

Maurecia's bubbly attitude returned and she waved and smiled at him. "See you in history class next period Todd!" She said joyfully, skipping down to her locker.

Todd went to his own locker and got his books before making his way to the classroom.

He entered and took a seat next to Vince, whom he had this class, gym and lunch together. Vince saw his friend and smirked very lightly. "What's with you? You look kind of flushed. Did you get laid in between classes?" Vince asked, breaking out into fits of laughter at his own dirty joke.

Todd grimaced at him. "Shut up Vince, it's not funny."

"Relax man, can't you take a joke?" Vince said continuing to laugh softly much to the redhead's annoyance.

English class went by even slower than Math class did, the whole time he was thinking about himself hugging Maurecia. Her body warmth against his, her strong arms circled around his waist, the smell of her strawberry shampoo. Todd just wanted to breathe that aroma in forever, he wanted to wind his hands into her purple locks and kiss those soft pink lips of hers and… wait, what was he thinking? Was he actually having romantic thoughts about Maurecia? The annoying girl from wayside who used him like a punching bag? That same Maurecia?

The fact of the matter was, Todd was no longer a child, he was a teenager, his body was changing and he was having perfectly natural feelings of want and desire for the opposite sex, whether he liked it or not.

The bell finally rang and Todd stepped out of the classroom wearily, looking in all directions for the purple haired troublemaker.

"I don't see her any- "HI TODD!" Maurecia suddenly yelled in his ear, practically making the redheaded boy fly up into the ceiling tiles.

"Did I scare you?" Maurecia asked holding her hand to her mouth and giggling naughtily. "You snuck up on me."

"Yeah, I'm kind of good at doing that." She said giggling softly. Then without warning, Todd's brain shut off and his body melted into goo as he felt Maurecia's arms wrap around him again, giving him a hug that was even stronger and tighter than the last one which he didn't think was possible.

"Oh Todd, you feel so warm." Maurecia hummed, sighing happily and closing her eyes as she continued the embrace, if she were a cat she would be purring like crazy.

Maurecia opened her blue orbs for a second and looked Todd directly in the eyes, almost making his heart explode. She leaned in close to him, so close that he thought she was going to kiss him, but instead she whispered in his ear.

"You can hug me back Todd." She said in a breathy voice. Todd felt as if he were paralyzed, he didn't even know if he could hug her back because he felt as if he were frozen in time.

Finally, he was able to gain control of that brain of his and he wrenched his hands up and wrapped them around Maurecia's frame firmly. When she felt the boy's arms around her she exploded with joy. "Oh Todd!" She oozed, eyes half lidded as she sighed heavily in delight, looking like a girl out of some cheesy romance movie.

"Hey why don't you two get a room?" Somebody nearby snapped, making Maurecia's pleased face turn into a scowl of disgust.

"Why don't you mind your own business pal, I'm having a moment here with my man!" She yelled at him, pulling one of her arms away from Todd and waving it at the kid, balling it up into a fist.

Todd pulled away and once again Maurecia looked heartbroken, as if someone was stealing her pet dog away from her.

"Listen Maurecia this is nice and all, but I'm not really your man, I told you I don't want a girlfriend."

The purple haired teen opened her mouth to respond but she was interrupted by Vince's voice. "Don't listen to him, I saw the expression on his face when you were holding him, he looked as if he had ascended to heaven!" Vince snorted, stepping up to the couple.

"Who's this Todd?" Maurecia asked curiously. Todd groaned and paused for a second. "This is my friend Vince, and he should be heading off to class right now." Todd spat at his friend, making daggers at the boy with his brown eyes.

"I could say the same thing about you lover boy!" He teased breaking out into peels of laughter. Now both Todd and Maurecia were blushing softly.

"Shouldn't you be going to class now Vince?" Todd sighed, knowing he was never going to hear the end of this.

"Hey, I was just heading down to my locker when I came across you two lovebirds." He said, a huge shit eating grin covering his face.

"We're NOT lovers." Todd spat, pure venom in his mouth. Maurecia felt as if her heart had been ripped out.

Vince took note of her hurt expression and his smile faded and was replaced with a look of concern.

"Hey girl, it's alright Todd didn't mean it." Vince said attempting to sooth her. Maurecia looked down at the ground her shoulders drooping. "That's okay, Todd's right, we're not lovers, and I don't know why I thought he would want me after all these years." She choked, eyes watering as she ran off.

"Maurecia, wait!" Todd yelled but she was already at the other end of the hallway, soft tears cascading down her cheeks as she made sure not to look back.

"Damnit!" Todd cursed, realizing he had sounded much harsher than he intended when he denied that they were lovers. "Hey, you brought this on yourself." Vince said coldly. "Oh come on Vince, you know I didn't mean to sound so cruel." He exclaimed, trying to defend himself. Vince just shook his head as the next ball rang.

Todd went to his locker and made his way to history class. He walked in and when he saw Maurecia he felt even more terrible. She was sitting in the corner and her eyes were red and puffy, signifying that she had been crying hard.

She saw him enter and scowled, turning her gaze away from him. "Maurecia listen I..' He began but Maurecia just ignored him. Okay, he guessed he deserved this, but she would get over it right? Wrong. She remained this way for the next several weeks in every class, her face solemn and dead pan, and she gave him the cold shoulder each time.

Every time Todd saw her he was reminded that he had really hurt her feelings, and it made him feel terrible.

One day at gym the teacher made everyone run laps around the football field and Todd and Vince talked about Maurecia as they ran side by side one another.

"Is Maurecia still ignoring you?" Vince asked, now sounding a bit out of breathe from the jogging.

"Yeah, totally, I must've really hurt her feelings." Todd responded, looking down at the ground and frowning. "Jeez, you think? I didn't think you would get so mad over me calling you guys love birds."

Todd sighed realizing what an ass he had been. "Yeah, I know. I need to make it up to her somehow, but I don't know what to do." The redhead remarked, wiping a hand over his now sweaty forehead.

Vince suddenly smirked again and Todd's stomach lurched, he really hated that fucking smirk of his.

"Oh god, what are you thinking of Vince?" Todd asked, very nervous to hear his friend's response.

"You could always just give her a chance Todd, I mean what's the worst that could happen?" Vince asked Todd , raising an eyebrow. Todd sighed deeply, as if her were preparing to hold his breath before performing a deep dive into the pool.

"I guess you're right, maybe if I take her out on one date she'll finally leave me alone." Todd replied hopefully.

Vince's smirk came back full force. "Or maybe it will end with the two of you making out and falling in love." Vince teased, closing his eyes and making smooching noises.

"Fuck off." Todd hissed angrily. "Why are you so afraid of starting a relationship Todd, are you afraid of rejection or something?" Vince asked his redheaded friend, his voice changing from a teasing tone to a serious one.

"It's just, when I picture the girl of my dreams, it's a girl who's like me. Calm, studious, a girl who goes with the flow. Not someone as bubbly and energetic as Maurecia. Not only that, I've never really had a thing for tomboys." Todd explained, also running short of breath from the running.

"Whatever, your ideal woman sounds like my grandma. Maurecia seems like a fun and wild girl, someone you could party with. And you know what they say, if she has a wild personality, she's also wild in bed." Vince laughed, winking teasingly at Todd.

Todd's face turned pink and he glared at his pal. "I think you're the only one who says that Vince."

Vince laughed even harder. "Maybe, but it's a phrase others should really start using." Todd just rolled his eyes, the two of them had been friends for a few years now, and by this point the redhead was used to his friend's raunchy jokes.

"So, how exactly do you think I should make it up to her?" Todd asked inquisitively. "I'll tell you exactly what to do, just leave it to me." Vince responded, grinning naughtily once again.

**Well, that's the first Chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. If I get enough reviews for this I'll post the Second Chapter, so please Review! Reviews are the drug that motivates me lol.**


	2. Secret Admirer

Later that evening, Maurecia went around her cul-de-sac for around an hour, roller skating down the sidewalk several times. It was one of her favorite outdoor activities, and it seemed to be doing a good job of taking her mind off of Todd.

At around 5:30 she finished and skated back up her driveway. As she headed to the front door, something caught her eye. It was a bouquet of bright red roses and an envelope. Maurecia's heart skipped a beat as she examined the roses briefly before opening the envelope. She peeled the paper off of it and read the note that was inside.

_Dear Maurecia,_

_I have been examining your beautiful form for awhile now, and I can deny my true feelings for you no longer. You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. I adore those sea blue eyes of yours that make me want to drown in their sparkling pools every time I see them. I love your luscious purple hair that I wish I could just winds my hands in and inhale its heavenly aroma. And who could forget your amazing and voluptuous body? So strong but at the same time so delicate and exotic. I want you to be mine Maurecia, I want to give you the best night of your life this weekend, by taking you out on a date that you'll be sure to never forgot. If you're interested, meet me in front of the Barnes and Noble on Bellmont street this Saturday at 7:00 pm._

_Sincerely, your secret admirer._

_PS: Enjoy the roses my sweet. XOXOXOXOXOXO_

Maurecia's face resembled a tomato, and she was breathing heavily in excitement. "I have a secret admirer, but who? Is it someone from OceanCrest?" Maurecia pondered aloud to herself. _"Maybe it's Todd." _A lustful voice purred from inside her head, which made the female wince in disgust.

"Yeah right, that jerk would never write something this heartfelt to me. Oh god, I wonder who he is, and I wonder what he looks like." Maurecia squealed, imagining a handsome Adonis like figure in her mind.

She pressed her nose into the bouquet of roses and inhaled strongly, sighing in delight at the intoxicating scent.

"These are hands down the best roses I've ever smelled, whoever this guy is, he must be the sweetest guy on the planet." Maurecia exhaled, sighing dreamily. She couldn't wait to finally be united with this stallion, and it was already Thursday which meant she only had two days to wait.

Maurecia stepped inside her house, carrying the roses and the envelope in her arms and heading upstairs to put the items in her room, the last thing she wanted was her parents finding out she had a secret admirer, they tended to be weird when it came to that kind of stuff. She would have to tell them she was going over to Dana's or her friend Rebecca's house on Saturday.

At around 9:00 that night, Todd was in his room with Vince, pacing around anxiously. "Do you think she got the note?" He asked Vince, his voice laden with worry.

"She had to, I left it right on her doorstep."

Todd bought and personally selected the roses, but Vince was the one who wrote the note, as he was never good at coming up with mushy romantic stuff like that.

"How do you think she liked it?" Todd asked, continuing his pacing which was starting to annoy Vince.

"Trust me, if she's like most girls, she'll be wooed by what I wrote." Vince said smugly. "Wow, your ego totally isn't inflated." Todd laughed, rolling his eyes at his friend's over self confidence.

Vince shrugged. "Call it a gift. You have a game plan for this Saturday?"

"Yeah, the usual dating activities. I'll take her to go see that new action movie Deadly Contact, knowing Maurecia she'll enjoy that much more than some mushy romance movie." Todd explained carefully. Vince butted in, that signature devious grin of his occupying his face. "Dude, you should take her to see a horror movie instead, then when the scary shit happens she'll want to cuddle up to you." He said, wiggling his eyebrows. "My mind doesn't live in the gutter like yours does though." Todd shot back defensively, he then continued on. "Then I'm going to take her to that new French restaurant Gout de Paradis."

"Ooohhhhh Todd's getting fancy." Vince joked in a faux school girl dialect. "Shut up and let me finish!" Todd yelled clenching his fists, and sounding much whinier than he intended to.

"Alright, calm down Romeo." Vince said, putting his hands up as if he were defending himself from a bully.

"Then maybe we'll come back to my house for a little while, my parents probably won't mind."

Vince couldn't resist and he piped up once more. "Oh yeah, Todd's going to work some of his manly magic on Maurecia!" Vince exclaimed excitedly, fist pumping the air.

Todd blushed very noticeably, not amused by his friend's antics in the slightest. "Don't you ever think of anything else besides sex?" Todd barked, losing his patience. "Can't a boy and girl ever just have some time alone without people thinking they're having intercourse?"

Vince cackled softly. "Intercourse? You sound like a kindergartener when you talk about sexual stuff Todd."

"Yeah because I'm not a pervert like you are." Todd shot back. "What's perverted about wanting to become acquainted with the girl you're dating in the most intimate of ways?" Vince replied saucily, and Todd was getting flustered again.

Vince loved teasing Todd when it came to stuff like this, he was so shy and innocent when it came to sexual matters that Vince was both amused by it, as well as feeling a bit sorry for him. Not in the stuck up, pompous looking down on him kind of way, but in the: I feel bad and really want to help my best friend, kind of way.

Todd felt his cheeks get hot again, and his stomach did somersaults at the idea of Maurecia and him doing such things together. "There's nothing wrong with it, but there's more to a relationship than just having sex." Todd said, almost spitting out the last words of the sentence as if they tasted rancid on his tongue.

"I know Todd, relax, relax. I'm just taking the piss as they say." Vince looked at his watch realizing it was later than he thought.

"It's getting late, my parents are probably expecting me home by now." The brunette said getting up from Todd's bed and heading for his door. "Hope you have fun on your date this Saturday, Casanova." Vince chuckled.

Todd just groaned at his friend's joke, knowing he would hear more from the boy tomorrow at school.

At around 11:00 that night, Maurecia usually would've been sound asleep considering she had to get up at six in the morning, but this night she was tossing and turning in her bed, searching desperately for some shuteye.

_"__I can't wait until Saturday, if the person was as flattering and kind as he was in that letter, maybe this person really could be my soul mate. I know I'm only sixteen and I've got my whole life ahead of me, but something about that letter just strikes a chord in me and makes me go all gooey inside." _She thought, sighing in pleasure as she pulled her purple sheets over her head.

_"__This guy can't be the one. You know you love Todd, Maurecia, you've loved him ever since you first laid eyes on him at Wayside. Of course, you were young and naïve back then, so you thought it was just a crush that would dissolve over the years. But after you left Wayside, your feelings for Todd were only intensified, and you knew that you were madly in love with him. That sweet little redhead, so kind and intelligent, so thoughtful and nice, even to you, when you annoyed him by coming on so strongly. He still put up with you, while most guys would've reacted in anger, or spewed insults at you." _That same seductive voice from inside of her head rang out, and Maurecia contemplated those thoughts for a moment before shaking her head viciously in rejection.

_"__He wasn't so nice to me in the hallway a few weeks ago when his friend called us lovebirds. I've never seen Todd sound so angry and harsh." _Maurecia thought disdainfully, almost getting choked up just thinking about it again. _"Honey, he could've just been having a bad day, or maybe he was simply embarrassed in front of his friend, did you ever think of that? I'm not justifying his rude behavior that day, but try and place yourself in his shoes. I really think you should give him another chance darling. Maybe if you're not so in his face about it everyday, and try to cut down on the punching or rather hugs for that matter, he'll soften up and become interested in you."_

The voice from inside of her head said soothingly. Maurecia was having an eternal struggle with her conscious now, and her feelings were torn.

_"__Maybe you're right. As angry as I am at Todd, I know I still have feelings for him deep down. I felt something that day I hugged him twice. I felt an energy, a connection. A love that he felt for me but was either to shy or scared to fully reciprocate, but it was there, I felt it." _Maurecia thought to herself, her cheeks turning pink and a small smile coming over her face as she thought back to those hugs. A warm bubbly feeling was also spreading itself throughout the girl's stomach as she thought back to how nice and warm Todd felt when she had her arms around him.

But then her thoughts switched back to the note and the roses that were left for her earlier. Why should she waste her time on someone who may never love her back, when there was a man who seemed to be deeply in love with her and was asking her on a date? Would it be right to ignore such an offer?

_"__I have to at least give this secret admirer of mine a chance. If that letter is anything to go by, he's probably really sweet, and it would be rude to just blow him off. I'm going to that date this Saturday."_ Maurecia decided, yawning as sleep finally seemed to be overtaking her. A few minutes later she was fast asleep, with her last thoughts being of imagining how handsome and attractive that admirer of hers might be.

School the next day seemed to drag by for both Todd and Maurecia, not just because it was the last day before the weekend, but because of their date on Saturday. Of course, Maurecia was completely oblivious to the fact that Todd had sent her the letter.

In Math class, Maurecia seemed to be acting a little different than how she had been treating him, albeit not even close to her usual attitude. She was neither cold nor smothering towards him, just casting him a very small but somewhat noticeable smile when he looked her way, as she still was not sitting by him.

_"__Maybe she's gotten over it a little bit?" _Todd wondered hopefully, still afraid that she would react negatively when she found out that he was her secret admirer. After class ended and the bell rang, Todd tried to catch up to Maurecia to talk to her, but she was long gone. He decided that maybe it was best if he just avoided talking to her the rest of the day, afraid that talking to her again might make her angry and she'll be upset on Saturday. He really didn't want the date to be ruined.

The two interacted with one another in the same manner over the course of the remaining school day, each one keeping out of the other's space. Todd because he didn't want to upset Maurecia again, and Maurecia because she was still mulling over her feelings for Todd.

For both students, their last class was Science, and after it let out the two of them went to their own lockers, once again keeping out of the other's path. Todd closed his locker and was locking it back up when Vince rushed up to him, running so fast he was nearly out of breath. "What's up?" Todd asked, making a face, not sure why Vince was running.

"Dude, Mandy Carlson is having a party at her house tonight and is inviting a bunch of people from OceanCrest." He explained, huffing and puffing.

"Who's Mandy Carlson?" Todd asked in confusion, raising an eyebrow. Vince just shrugged. "I don't know, but who cares, she's inviting people to her house and it'll be a great opportunity to get some free food and meet new people. It's better than just sitting home on a Friday night. Do you want to come with me?"

Todd hesitated. "I don't know Vince, we're probably not going to get home until late, and usually I wouldn't care but I have that date tomorrow." He said, whispering the last part so no one would hear him.

"Oh come on Todd, that isn't until 7:00 tomorrow, if we get home late you'll have more than enough time to sleep in. Come on, I don't want to go alone, it won't be as fun." Vince whined.

Todd just smiled softly, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll go. What time does it start?"

"Around six, I'll meet you at your house and I'll drive us there." Vince said, his face lighting up in excitement and anticipation. Todd decided it might be fun, and he had never really been to a party before, what's the worst that could happen?

Sure enough, later that evening Vince arrived, pulling up the driveway and honking the horn. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Todd screamed at his friend, trying to prevent him from honking the horn even further.

Todd had told his parents he was going to Vince's house for the evening. He didn't like lying to them, but it's not like he went to parties often, or at all for that matter.

Todd climbed into the front seat of his friend's red Ford as they drove off. "You ready to get your drink on?" Vince asked with a sneer.

The redhead sighed in discomfort. "I just hope the cops don't show up, I'm too young to go to jail."

"Relax Todd, no one's going to find out, Mandy's parents are gone for the weekend, and teens have drinking parties all the time, it'll be fine." Vince said reassuringly.

Mandy Carlson's house was around a half hour drive from Todd's, and when they finally arrived both of their mouths nearly hit the floor. The house was the size of a mansion, but even calling it a mansion seemed to be an understatement, it looked like a palace.

The house looked as if there were two hundred rooms contained within it, and there was a massive thirty foot tall fountain on the front lawn.

There was a gate in front of the house as well, so as Todd and Vince exited the car someone had to buzz them in. "I can't believe the size of this house, it's probably bigger than the white house." Todd joked and Vince snickered. By the time the two boys got up the massive driveway they were out of breath, as it seemed to go on for miles.

Finally they made their way to the front door as Vince rang the doorbell. There was a pause before a girl whom Todd and Vince had never seen before answered the door with a big smile on their face.

"Come on in, are you two friends of Mandy's?" The blonde girl asked, her grin growing in size. "Ughghg yeah, we're friends of Mandy's." Vince answered dumbly, although that seemed to be satisfactory for the girl as she just giggled in response.

"Great! Make yourself at home!" She chirped, heading down one of the massive corridors. Vince and Todd hadn't gone two steps when an unidentified male from inside the living room confronted them with a massive bag of marijuana.

"Hey, you two want some of this?" He asked, pointing to the bag in his hands. "Nah, we're good for right now." Vince responded. "That's cool, if you want some though just look for me and I'll smoke you out!"

"Cool. Wow, everyone here is so alive and energetic." Vince remarked. "It's probably a result of the weed." Todd replied, looking around as his eyes fell upon a mini bar that was located across from the family room.

"Hey, they have a mini bar, you want to get something to drink?" Vince asked his friend as he noticed the bar as well.

"I guess one drink couldn't hurt." Todd responded hesitantly. He had never drank or done drugs before, and honestly he didn't want to start, but one drink couldn't be too bad, right?"

"Sure why not." Todd said, hesitating a bit and shrugging his shoulders. Vince and the redheaded teen then took a seat at the bar, which wasn't very crowded, most likely because everyone else at the party was either toking it up inside, or was outside in Mandy's gigantic swimming pool and hot tub.

"All right boys, what're you drinking?" A very attractive as well as very physically fit black female stepped up to the front of the bar as she smiled warmly at the two boys. "I'll have a White Russian." Vince piped up immediately.

"Sounds good, what about you son?" She asked, turning her gaze over to Todd. Todd had never really had a drink before, probably due to the fact that he was underage, so he really didn't know what to order. "I'm not really sure, whatever's good I guess." The carrot top stammered, somewhat embarrassed at his lack of knowledge about alcoholic beverages.

"How about a mudslide?" The bartender asked with a playful smile. "Sure, that sounds good." Todd agreed.

"Mudslide it is then." She responded with a smile, preparing the two drinks. "So who do you boys know here?"

Vince paused for a second before answering. "Oh, we're just friends of Mandy's." He lied and Todd merely nodded his head, to second his friend's lie.

After she finished preparing the drinks, she placed them on the counter in front of them as Vince immediately began chugging his down.

Todd was just frozen, eyeing the brownish drink in front of him. Vince noticed his friend wasn't drinking and stopped his chugging.

"Drink it Todd, it's good trust me, I've had them before, it's like a milkshake for adults." He stated matter of factly before he resumed gulping down his White Russian. Todd decided to take his friend's advice as he slowly lifted the frosty drink up to his lips, taking a small sip of the cold substance.

Right away, Todd's mouth was hit with a massive explosion of flavor, it was hands down the best drink he had ever had the pleasure to taste, of course being the type of person he was, he didn't let it show much.

"How's the drink?" Vince asked looking over at him, with some of his own drink smeared across his upper lip.

"Yeah it's good, really good actually." Todd responded, taking another big gulp of the chocolatey heaven. Before he knew it he had finished the entire cup, and the bartender who's name was Jenifer took notice.

"Should I keep that coming?" Jen asked Todd, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I don't really have any cash on me." The redhead responded and Vince laughed out loud.

"This is an open bar son, you're not paying for this, so should I keep that coming?" Jen asked once more with some amusement on her face.

Todd felt like a real ass now. "Oh, in that case, yeah please keep it coming." Todd replied, smiling sheepishly. Jen just smiled back as she prepared another drink for him. The two sat at the bar chatting with Jen and drinking some more for around half an hour and as Todd was just about finished with his third mudslide, he nearly spit the drink out as he saw someone whom he believed he would never see here.

"Is that Maurecia?" Vince asked and Todd nearly had a heart attack, not sure how she was going to respond to his presence.

"Try not to look over at her." Todd mumbled to his friend, trying to scrunch himself up but he knew it was useless. He heard the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer, and with each footfall Todd felt his heart sink more and more.

Sure enough, Maurecia stood right behind them at the bar and Todd flinched nervously. "Oh hi Todd, hi Vince." She said simply without that much enthusiasm as she turned to look over at Jen, giving her a warm smile.

"Hi, do you know where the pool is?" Maurecia asked, and Todd had apparently failed to notice that she was holding a bathing suit in her hands.

"Yeah sweetie, it's right out back, you can change in one of the bathrooms." Jen responded smiling back at Maurecia with just as much warmth. Maurecia just smiled and walked off, apparently to change into her swimsuit.

Todd then felt a weird feeling creep over him. He thought that he would feel relieved that she didn't say anything to him, but at the same time he kind of missed her old bubbly behavior, sure it was annoying, but it was also cute. Cute? Where did that come from? Todd wasn't the type of guy to describe things as cute, even if it was someone from the opposite sex.

"That's weird, it's like you were just a stranger to her." Vince said looking over at his buddy. Todd just smiled weakly and nodded in agreement. "Yeah I guess, but I'm still not used to her acting this way, I kind of miss the old Maurecia."

That was all Todd had to say to make Vince break into a huge goofy grin, and Todd groaned, knowing that some teasing was up next. "Awwwww Todd misses his Maurecia fawning all over him and giving him hugs, how sweet." Vince cooed in the most annoying, cloyingly sweet voice he could manage, making Todd's skin crawl.

"You just don't give up do you?" Todd remarked, although there was a smile on his face, maybe the redhead was finally getting a sense of humor. "Maybe I should just tell her that I'm the one who asked her out on that date tomorrow." Todd told Vince and Jen the bartender piped up as well, much to the carrot top's embarrassment.

"Oh boy son! You're the hunk that Maurecia's been talking about all day?" Jen asked, her pretty face lighting up and Todd turned positively purple with humiliation.

Todd was about to reply but Vince beat him to the punch. "Maurecia's been talking about Todd?" Vince asked and Jen shook her head. "No not by name, just about some secret admirer of hers that left her some romantic note and asked her out on Saturday. She's been here for a few hours now, and she's been talking to nearly everybody at the party about it, but I didn't know that this handsome young man was the one who anonymously asked her out." Jen smirked and Todd's blush only increased. "Not to sound rude, but can you try and keep it a secret, I'm not sure if I want Maurecia to know about it yet." Todd whispered while looking around, making sure the purple haired female was out of sight.

Jen just chuckled. "No problem son, you can tell her yourself whenever you feel ready. I'm kind of jealous of her though, you're a handsome young man who I'm sure she'll just adore!" Jen said warmly. Todd didn't think his face could grow any hotter, and Vince seemed to sense his friend's discomfort as he began to giggle uncontrollably.

"I feel so conflicted. If I don't tell her I'm the one who asked her out, there's a chance she's still mad at me, and will be even more angry when she finds me at the date site tomorrow. On the other hand, if I tell her it was me now, she still might be mad and I have no evidence to prove that it was me who wrote that letter." Todd sighed to himself in frustration.

"That's because you didn't, I wrote it remember?" Vince chuckled Todd just scowled at him. "You know damn well what I mean." He said curtly and Vince just laughed some more. "Well you could just tell her some of the lines that were in the letter or something, but personally I think you should just wait." Vince offered.

"If you don't mind me butting in, why is Maurecia mad at you?" Jen asked curiously and Todd really didn't want to have to explain it, but Jen was nice and didn't seem to be to judgmental, so he explained to her what had happened in the hallway a few weeks ago, and why Maurecia may still be mad at him.

After he was done explaining, and done preventing Vince from sticking his nose in every second Jen just nodded in understanding. "I see, it looks like you have a choice to make here tonight Todd but I agree with your friend, I think it's best to just keep it a secret. Maybe while you're here tonight you can try and be friendly to her, and see if she warms up to you a little bit."

Todd just sighed nervously. "I guess it's just…" Todd wandered off. "Just what honey?" Jen asked.

Todd's cheeks turned pink. "It's just… I'm not that good with girls, I've only had one relationship and it was horrible, and it was a few years before I was even at wayside." Vince's jaw dropped. "Really? You've never told me that before, that's why you don't want a girlfriend? And jeez, you've gone that long without being in a relationship?" Vince queried trying not to sound like a jerk.

Todd just shot him an aggravated look. "I've never told anyone before until now. I just don't want to repeat that experience, but at the same time I feel bad for hurting Maurecia's feelings… I don't know I feel so confused right now." Todd groaned putting his face into his hands and Jen just comforted him by putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Todd, I'm sure you'll make the right decision, just think it over for awhile." Jen offered helpfully and Todd nodded. "Yeah you're right, thanks Jen. I think I'm going to go outside for a bit and collect my thoughts." Todd said getting up out of his seat and heading for the backdoor. "I'll meet you out there in a few, I'm going to stay here for a bit." Vince called after him.

"Sounds good." Todd shouted back. He went out back and was immediately hit with the sound of music blasting, and the sounds of dozens of people screaming and laughing. If the inside of the house was crowded, it paled in comparison to the outside. Both the pool and hot tub were filled to the brim with teenagers, as well as the deck area which had several tables of food and a few coolers, which Todd knew had some kind of beer within them.

Todd bumped into a few people trying to make his way over to one of the tables on the deck. He took a Dr. Pepper from one of the coolers, not wanting to take in any more alcohol at the moment as he managed to take a seat in one of the only empty chairs. He was only a yard or two away from the pool and one of the boys in there hollered at him.

"Hey! Come on in, the water is so warm!" He shouted and Todd immediately knew he was drunk but tried to be nice anyway. "No that's okay, I don't have a swimsuit!" Todd yelled back.

"Oh come on!" The guy whined playfully and Todd just shook his head as the guy went off to the other end of the pull, doing some dives.

Todd sipped on the caffeinated beverage for while as he let his mind wander. Out of amusement he watched some of the girls and guys who were doing all kinds of crazy dives and jumps into the deep end of the pool, making most laugh, but annoying some of the other pool goers. Todd continued to watch for several minutes until he came across a sight that nearly made him spit out his Dr. Pepper. His eyes fell upon what was hands down the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.

The girl had on a light blue two piece bathing suit which completely revealed her silky smooth and long legs. Her curvy and perfectly shaped waist and stomach were also on display, as well her gorgeous wet purple locks that went down nearly to her waist. Then a few seconds later, it hit Todd who this girl was. It was Maurecia! And she was more beautiful than Todd had ever remembered. He was guessing the two piece bathing suit had a lot to do with that, and he blushed in both embarrassment and anger at falling victim to one of the male gender's most basic feelings: lust.

He was starring at her and practically drooling, although he managed to snap himself out of it. Apparently not quickly enough however, as the girls whom Maurecia was swimming with, as well as Maurecia herself took notice of his starring and began whispering to each other. The two other girls were giggling and looking over at him every few seconds, while Maurecia looked conflicted. Todd felt his face turn hot and he wanted to just burst into flames and disappear from this party, he felt so humiliated at those girls catching him starring at Maurecia like some pervert.

He knew he just had to go over there and say something now, or else he would look like an even bigger jerk.

He got up off of his chair and made his way over to the swimming pool as he noticed one of the girls whom Maurecia was with looked oddly familiar. As he got closer he realized who it was. It was Dana from Wayside, although she had styled her hair and didn't wear glasses anymore, which made it difficult to recognize her at first.

"Uhhh hi Dana." Todd sputtered, not sure how to get what was sure to be an awkward conversation started.

"Hi Todd, long time no see! How have you been the past few years?" She asked giggling a bit. "Oh I've been good." Todd said, rubbing the back of his head nervously as his stomach did flip flops, feeling the girls' gaze burning into him.

"Todd this is Rebecca, Rebecca this is Todd, he went to middle school with Maurecia and I." Dana explained to the brunette that was with them. "Nice to meet you Todd, is there something you would like to say to Maurecia?" Rebecca smirked, breaking out into a laughing fit making Maurecia blush and turn her gaze away. Dana looked like she was trying not to laugh as well. Rebecca was also in a two piece suit, but hers was red, and Dana was in a one piece that was yellow with green stripes.

"I do actually but.. um… I kind of wanted it to be private, no offense." Rebecca and Dana just exchanged glances and grinned widely. "Oooooooooooo! Maurecia, it looks like Todd might be interested!" Rebecca chirped as her and Dana swam to the other end. Maurecia just stood there now, her face flushed and she frowned at the boy.

Todd made sure to speak first, to cut off any protest she might've had. "Listen Maurecia I know you're probably still pissed at me, and I understand but hear me out, I'm really sorry for the way I acted in the hallway a few weeks ago it's just…"

Todd trailed off and gulped, what he was about to say he knew couldn't be unsaid but he said it anyway. "The reason why I acted the way I did is because I've had a girlfriend before, and it didn't turn out very good, and I guess I was just afraid that if I got with you, it would end in another heartbreak." Todd explained, his words coming out faster and faster as he spoke. He closed his eyes in frightful anticipation, waiting for her response.

"Really?" Maurecia asked, her blue eyes widening with shock. "That's the reason why you've been so hesitant to be with me all these years? It's not because you hate me or find me annoying?" She asked, a small smile starting to form on her face.

"Of course I don't hate you, although I'll admit, sometimes, okay a lot of the times you get on my nerves." Todd winced right away at those words and Maurecia's expression soured. "Okay maybe that came out wrong… listen I… the truth is…I like you Maurecia, as more than a friend, it's just taken me awhile to realize it, but I do like you, and I would like to give you a chance." Todd said, slurring his words again.

There was a pause for a few seconds and then Maurecia's face lit up with happiness."Oh Todd! Really? You mean you want to be my boyfr…" Maurecia was cut off as Vince came rushing to Todd's side, loud and belligerent which immediately told Todd that he would be the one driving them home tonight.

"Hey, Todd, buddy! Wassup? Oh I see you're talking with Maurecia, that's cool but you should get your ass inside, they're about to play spin the bottle!" Vince shouted and Todd could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Vince I was in the middle of…" Todd was cut off once more as Vince wrapped his arm around the redhead's shoulder and pulled him away from the pool. "Come on man it'll be fun and crazy, I assure you!" Vince laughed and Todd looked back at Maurecia who looked saddened and disappointed.

**I know I'm cruel for ending it like that, but I promise I'll add the next chapter once some new reviews come in. :)**


	3. An identity revealed

**I know it's been a long hiatus, and this is a relatively short chapter, but I assure you, the next one will be up very soon, enjoy!**

Dana noticed that Todd was gone and Rebecca and her swam back to Maurecia's side. "So what did he say?" Rebecca asked.

"Well he told me that he had feelings for me and he was going to say more …" Now it was Maurecia's turn to be cut off by her friends as they both broke out into a fangirlish "AWWWWWWWW" squeal that left Maurecia blushing and annoyed.

"Until he was interrupted by his friend, because apparently they're playing spin the bottle inside." Maurecia finished. "Well what are you waiting for girl, get in there and talk to Todd before he leaves!" Dana shouted waving her arms around. "Yeah, go in there after him!" Rebecca agreed.

"But I'm all wet, I would have to change first." Maurecia protested. "There's no time for that, just wrap a towel around yourself, there's so many people here you think that Mandy is going to care? Now get in there!" Dana proclaimed.

Maurecia sighed and exited the pool as she wrapped her purple towel around herself and went back inside, being greeted with a mass of people huddled around near one of the tables, spinning the bottle. Maurecia scanned her eyes of the faces for a few seconds until she came across Todd and Vince and headed over, her suit dripping a bit onto the marble floor, but she didn't care or notice.

She walked over to Todd as she was greeted by Vince. "Hey Maurecia, take a seat, it's getting good." He smiled and Todd just blushed at seeing her, remembering he had nearly just told Maurecia his feelings for her a just a few moments ago.

The bottle that was on the large wooden kitchen table stopped spinning and landed on the boy who had offered them the marijuana earlier. "Oooohhh Jason, truth or dare!" One of the guys sitting next to him jeered, and the boy just shot back a smug grin as he shrugged his shoulders. "Truth."

"Okay then Jason, is it true you have feelings for Hannah?" Another one of the males asked Jason, and several people burst out laughing. Todd noticed that one of the blonde girls sitting in the circle was blushing softly, and he deduced that she was most likely Hannah.

Todd felt his stomach lurch as he realized the game was probably going to be centered around sexual questions, it was a pack of teenagers after all. Jason, who looked to be around Todd's age with shoulder length hair stuttered a bit, his face turning a bit pink as well.

"Yeah, I do kind of like Hannah." The blushing boy confessed, and the entire group of people around the table began hooping and hollering obnoxiously. "I like you to Jason." The blonde girl piped up smiling warmly at Jason before leaning in and giving him a peck on the lips. The kiss made everyone go even more wild, cheering and whooping like maniacs, which was starting to annoy Todd, Vince of course was too drunk to care.

Maurecia was incredibly jealous of Jason and Hannah, she wanted that to be her and Todd! And her man was just about to tell her his feelings when that drunk asshole Vince showed up and interrupted! The tomboy leaned into the red haired boy and whispered, trying to get his attention, while at the same time trying not to get Vince to overhear her.

"Psssttttt Todd!" Maurecia said trying to get in close to the boy, although he didn't seem to hear her.

She whispered a second time, and got his attention. "What is it?" He asked, looking somewhat impatient.

"Why don't we go back outside so we can finish our discussion, and maybe spend a little time in the pool together." Maurecia purred flirtatiously with a wink.

Todd blushed and felt his stomach lurch, now he KNEW she was deliberately being suggestive, he had always kind of suspected it before, but now there was no doubting it.

_"__Well, I almost did confess my feelings to her after all." _He thought to himself. He sighed outwardly. "Alright fine, I guess it's better than staying in here and playing that stupid-

Todd was cut off mid sentence as he felt Vince's hand come down on his shoulder, yanking him towards the direction of the table. "Todd, are you def? The bottle landed on you! Truth or dare?"

Todd's eyes bugged out, he was mortified, and was really hoping he could have avoided this game tonight. The redhead paused for a second and thought deeply about the predicament he was in. _"If I say truth, I know they're going to ask me if it's true that I like Maurecia, so maybe I should stick with…"_

"Dare." Todd blurted out suddenly, and the crowd of teens huddled around the table gasped. Todd immediately regretted his decision, but it was far too late to turn back now. "Okay Todd." One of the guys began, in fact it was the same kid who had asked Jason a few minutes earlier, and he had that same giant, stupid grin on his face.

"I dare you to make out with Maurecia!" The male teen shouted, before breaking out into hysterical laughter.

Todd's stomach lurched and he went white as all of the color seemed to drain from his face. Maurecia had become as red as a tomato, but she had butterflies in her stomach also because she was sincerely hoping Todd would go through with the dare. _"This may be it! After all these years of desiring it and fantasizing about it, my dream is finally coming true!" _The purple haired tomboy thought anxiously, on the edge of her seat.

The other people around the table were growing impatient, and started to vocalize it. "Come on you two, we ain't got all day!" A curly haired brunette guy with a beer bottle in his right hand shouted out drunkenly.

_"__Oh god, this is it, isn't it? I'm actually going to kiss Maurecia?" _Todd's thoughts whirred through his head at a million miles per hour. _"Yes, it's finally happening, I'm finally going to get a kiss from my man!" _Maurecia thought in utter euphoria, feeling as if this were just a dream, and she would wake up at any second in her bed, upset and alone.

Todd gulped hard and licked his lips, which were quickly becoming dry. "Alright, you heard them." He managed to sputter out in a scared, low voice. Todd had never been kissed by a girl before, and he honestly wanted it to be a better scenario than the current situation he was in. Then again, he should have known better for participating in a game such as this.

"Let's get this show on the road, Todd!" Maurecia proclaimed happily, smiling wide and wrapping both of her arms around the red head's clammy neck, which just resulted in more hollers of enjoyment from the crowd of people surrounding them.

Maurecia instinctively closed her eyes and puckered up her pink and puffy lips, awaiting the greatest moment of her young life. Todd closed his eyes and prepared himself for the feeling of the girl's soft lips and the ensuing screams of amusement from the crowd. Their lips were literally a hair apart when a door slammed shut and a loud and indignant voice cut through the room like a razor sharp knife.

"Just what the FUCK is going on in here?" The room fell silent and everyone including Todd and Maurecia froze. It was Dennis Carlson, the father of Mandy who had thrown this party, who had apparently returned home earlier than expected.

The angry words were followed by a pause that seemed to go on for centuries, and that was followed by another hysterical scream.

"Busted! Everyone out now!" One of the pot smokers shrieked in fear. Then, everyone was rushing to get out of the house, so frenzied in fact that people were bumping into others and falling onto the ground. The next thing Todd knew, Vince's hand was latched onto his arm, and pulled him away from Maurecia. The purple haired girl's mouth fell open in horror, her dream of kissing Todd after all these years had been obliterated.

"Come on Todd, let's get the fuck out of here before the cops show up!"

"But Vince you're drunk, you'd better let me drive." Todd protested as the two headed towards the door as fast as they could, leaving behind a heartbroken Maurecia.

"Sure whatever, let's just go." Vince replied, nearly out of breathe.

Maurecia felt her eyes getting hot and watery. No, no she wouldn't, she wouldn't cry. It came anyway, warm tears sliding down her cheeks, but she too was interrupted by the voices of Dana and Rebecca, scolding her and yelling at her to hurry it up and leave. Maurecia wiped some of her tears away as she followed her friends out the front door, as Dennis stomped up the stairs looking for his daughter Mandy, who was in an upstairs bedroom getting pounded by a bunch of guys. Let's just say it didn't end well for her.

Todd and Vince made their way to the car as quick as their legs could carry them, and Todd got in the driver's seat and drove off as Vince began puking out of the window.

"I knew you shouldn't have drank that much." Todd scolded. "I know, I feel like shit." Vince moaned in discomfort.

Later that night, after Dana dropped her off at her house, Maurecia quietly entered her front door, trying with all of her might to make as little noise as possible. It was nearly 11:00 at night now, and there was a strong chance her parents were in bed. Her older brother Dominic might've still been up, and she didn't want him to catch her and tattle on her to their parents, as it wasn't the first time that such a thing had happened. Sometimes her brothers really enjoyed tormenting her. However, being the little sister to six older brothers, she was used to it at this point. Her brothers Oliver, Matthew, Marcus and Trent had already moved out of the house, and with the exception of Oliver who had not only moved out but was now married and living in a house with his wife, they all lived in an apartment complex with their girlfriends. Although, Dominic who was eighteen and would graduate at the end of the year, and Duncan who was twenty-one and in college, still lived at home. Duncan would also most likely be moving out with his girlfriend within the next year or two.

Duncan was also most likely in bed as he had to get up early for his Saturday classes. Dominic however, on top of being a jock who was obsessed with sports, was also a gamer, and would sometimes be up until the early morning hours indulged in one of his video games, usually a first person shooter. Sometimes when their parents were gone for the night he would even bring some of his friends over, annoying Maurecia because she couldn't sleep through their annoying ass taunts, insults and yelling.

She made her way up the stairs, past her brother Dominic's room and sure enough, Maurecia could see light under his door and hear him shouting about grenades being spammed.

Her room was at the end of the hallway, and as she closed the door, locking it behind her, she plopped down onto her bed and resumed her crying, tears once more pouring down her face from her now pink eyes. "I can't believe this, I was so close to finally kissing Todd and Mandy's dumb ass father had to ruin it!" She snarled. Then her thoughts went back to that anonymous messenger who had asked her out a few days ago. "I really don't know what to do now. Todd pretty much admitted that he likes me, but on the other hand this guy also seems to be really fond of me… I don't know who I should go with." She said aloud to herself, deep in thought.

She knew almost right away that her angry feelings about missing out on that make out session with Todd gave it away. She still loved him. And although Maurecia knew the secret admirer must've also been sweet, she decided that tomorrow when they met up at the bookstore, she would just let him off lightly, and tell him she wasn't interested. She already had Todd, it was just some damn evil force kept interrupting their intimate moments together. But when she got him alone… A huge naughty grin lit up Maurecia's face as her mind wandered off into dirty areas. "No, no, I shouldn't be thinking like that, at least not yet. I'll need to take things slow with Todd, as much fun as the kinkier stuff will be." She giggled.

Maurecia stopped her crying, quickly realizing she would see her cute little red head again on Monday, but little did the female know, she would be reunited with him sooner than she thought. It wasn't long before she drifted off into a sweet slumber.

Todd had went to bed shortly after he had gotten home the previous night so he could get up early to prepare himself. He didn't really dress up, because he knew Maurecia was not the type of girl who cared about that sort of thing, but he did wash up thoroughly to rid himself of any body odor that may have collected from the night before. He brushed his teeth thoroughly and gargled with mouth wash a few times.

Upon awaking the next morning, since Maurecia didn't plan on actually going through with the date of the man who she had no idea was Todd, she didn't really bother to doll herself up, she simply showered like she usually did after getting up and rinsed her hair a few times with her strawberry shampoo. She then dried her hair and got some clean clothes.

The time flew by quicker than either teen expected, and at around a quarter until seven, they both planned to make their way over to the meeting spot, the Barnes and Noble on Bellmont street.

Maurecia made her way down the stairs but was greeted at the front door by her brother Dominic, who was grinning. "And where exactly are you going little missy?" He chuckled. He wasn't really being mean, they always teased each other like this, and Maurecia just smiled softly and rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a computer and chip bag that need attending?"

The blonde haired, buff teen just giggled in response. "Nah, not today, I have a date with that cheerleader Kimberly. Well, if you're going with a guy, just make sure you use protection." He stated and then roared with laughter. Maurecia's face contorted and turned red. "You're such a perv Dominic!" She shot back, shoving him playfully out of her way, as he just continued to laugh.

Maurecia didn't have her license yet, so she rode her bike over to the bookstore, which was only around a ten minute ride.

She arrived at 7:00 on the nose, parking her bike at a nearby bike stand, keeping a look out on whoever it might be.

Todd parked his car as he gulped. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. He was always nervous around girls, and Maurecia made him a hundred times more nervous, she was just so bubbly and hyper that it was hard to keep up with her. Tonight would certainly be interesting.

He got out of his car and saw her off in the distance in front of the book store and his palms started sweating. "I wonder if he's still coming." Maurecia said aloud, just as these words left her mouth though her heart nearly burst from her chest. "Is that Todd? What are the odds HE would be here at this specific moment?" She remarked in shock, still not putting the pieces together just yet. "Oh god, I'd better hide. If he sees me with some other guy, he may think that I'm not interested in him anymore!" Maurecia took off inside of the store. "Maurecia, wait!" Todd shouted, chasing after her.

The purple haired tomboy tried to hide behind a row of books but Todd spotted her anyway. She panicked as her eyes widened. "Oh hi Todd, what brings you to this wonderful Barnes and Noble today? I was just her to check out uh…" Her eyes scanned the area desperately until she picked up the first book in sight. "Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment! Yeah, I always wanted to buy this book!" She exclaimed, chuckling nervously.

"Listen Maurecia, you can cut the act, I know why you're here." Todd answered in deadpan. "You…you do?" Maurecia gulped, her stomach dropping in fear. "Let me guess… you're here to see a secret admirer." Todd said, still surprised that she didn't know it was him yet.

The female teen's eyes widened even more, and she felt all of the color drain from her face. "How… How did you know?" She gasped in terror, afraid he was getting ready to chew her out.

"Maurecia, I know because I'M your secret admirer!" Todd finally shouted out, but then blushed when he realized exactly how loud he had stated that.

"Listen Todd, I can explain, please don't hate me I was just planning… wait a minute, what did you just say?" Maurecia asked in total bewilderment, her mouth now hanging open.

"I'm your secret admirer, Maurecia." Todd stated, much more quietly as his cheeks turned pink. "Really, this entire time it was you?" She replied, utterly stunned, her mouth still open wide. "Yes, I left you the roses, wrote the note everything." Todd responded, speaking fast, almost to the point where he was slurring words.

There was a pause, and that was quickly broken as Maurecia embraced him in the absolute tightest hug yet, he felt as if all of the air were being squeezed out of him.

"OH TODD!" She gushed, her arms tightly clasped around his torso. "I knew you liked me all along, I never lost hope in you!" She proclaimed in a crazy euphoria, not caring who saw her. Todd of course was less than comfortable. "Maurecia… you're squeezing to hard…" he groaned.

His words took a few moments for Maurecia to register in her intense fit of happiness but eventually she pulled away, chuckling.

It took every ounce of her willpower a hundred times over to resist the urge to punch him. She wanted to punch him so bad, because he had made her so happy, but she understood that there were better ways to express that feeling of joy.

"Well Todd." Maurecia purred, fluttering her eyelashes. "This IS a date, so what did you have in mind?" The purple haired female remarked dreamily. Todd's cheeks went from pink to red, but he managed to stutter out a reply.

"First, let's leave here, I don't want other people to hear our plans."

"Plans? Oh Todd, you have a romantic evening for us in mind?" Maurecia squealed in delight. She felt like she was going to pass out, this was definitely the best day of her life. It was like a ten year old being showered by never ending gifts, and each one was better than the last.

"Yes, so just follow me." Todd choked out. "Whatever you say, Todd." Maurecia smiled with a wink. She then grasped onto Todd's hand, and the moment the redhead felt the girl's warm hand grasp his own, his face turned even more crimson.

The two of them then headed out into the parking lot, ready to start their date.


End file.
